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GM invests $370m for new small engine plant

 
2 846 views Sep 25, 2008

chevrolet cruze interior 001

Bub Lutz has revealed that Cadillac plans to unveil a “dramatic” environmental statement soon

Bub Lutz has revealed that Cadillac plans to unveil a “dramatic” environmental statement soon

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General Motors today announced that it will invest $370m for a new small engine manufacturing plant located in Flint, Michigan. The plant is an important step towards preparing GM to introduce the crucial Volt and Cruze products to the North American marketplace and attempt to gain leadership in terms of low-mpg vehicles.

Two new four-cylinder engines will be produced at the plant – a 1.4L turbo for the Cruze and a 1.4L naturally aspirated mill for the Volt. The smaller engine sizes will help the vehicles reduce their overall miles-per-gallon rating while still delivering adequate power for everyday use. In terms of power output and technology they are similar to engines already being built by GM in Europe.

The $370m investment includes $349m for the construction of a new 552,000 square foot plant, machinery, equipment and special tooling to support production of the new 4-cylinder engines. Another $21m is allocated for vendors to create tooling for new parts.

The engines may also find their way in to other small cars being built by GM as it works to downsize its range of vehicles and aims to comply with tough CAFE regulations.
2010 Chevrolet Cruze

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Comments (2)

  1. ma_Laz avatar Laz Posted: 9/25/2008 12:42pm PDT

    So if I'm reading correctly the Chevy Volt will now be available as a plug-in EV as well as a hyrid or gas only model? I thought it was only going to be equipped with a small gas generator to keep the batteries charged once the batteries lost it's juice. Leave it to GM to screw things up! I had really high hopes that GM would pull out of the scrap heap and become a respected car maker again...
     
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  2. ma_JSH avatar JSH Posted: 9/26/2008 6:23am PDT

    The volt will be a plug-in series hybrid. A 1.4L gasoline engine will turn a generator that will provide power to an electric motor. Their is no mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels. It also has a battery pack that can be charged from a plug and provide power to the electric motor.

    The volt will not be available in an EV only model or a gasoline only model.
     
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